Contract squabbles gone sour

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Cedric Benson's holdout could prove costly to both player and team. But it will have to go some distance to rank among the most memorable Bears contract impasses and moments:

Todd Bell and Al Harris

Safety Bell earned his one Pro Bowl honor in 1984 and his hit on Joe Washington in the playoff victory over the Redskins was the stuff of legend.

Both were free agents in 1985 so they technically weren't holdouts, but they had limited leverage because a team signing them would have to give up two first-round picks. Bell, who died last March of an apparent heart attack, wanted $1.5 million over three years and the Bears refused to go above $1 million.

Linebacker-end Harris had started in 1984 ahead of first-round pick Wilber Marshall, but Marshall had played the Bears off against the rival USFL for a deal worth $400,000. Consequently, Harris wanted a raise and the Bears' offers weren't sufficient.

They went on to play for Buddy Ryan with the Philadelphia Eagles but their chance to play for him in a Super Bowl was gone.

Curtis Enis

The Bears gave the fifth-overall pick of the 1998 draft a solid contract offer of $13.3 million over six years with a $7.2 million bonus, and thought they had a deal. But Enis switched from his agent to financial planner Greg Feste, who was involved with the Champions for Christ movement and a complete novice in NFL negotiations.

Feste told the Bears the $7.2 million up-front money was fine but it had to be part of a three-year contract.

On Aug. 14, Tribune reporter Melissa Isaacson was covering the Bears-Arizona Cardinals exhibition game and talking to Bears negotiator Ted Phillips on the phone about Enis.

Her cell phone rang; it was Feste. When he and Phillips learned both were talking to Isaacson, each began telling her things to say to the other. Finally she convinced them to talk to each other and a deal was worked out for a $3.6 million signing bonus in a three-year, $5.6-million deal. The deal prompted teammates to question Enis' sanity.

`Manhole covers'

In 1966 Mike Ditka was considering a three-year contract from the Houston Oilers of the AFL but wanted to remain a Bear if he and owner George Halas could come to terms.

The Bears offered $200,000 over three years and Ditka, negotiating for himself with George "Mugs" Halas Jr. because "Papa Bear" wouldn't talk to him, decided to play out his option.

At a public appearance that year Ditka remarked Halas "threw nickels around like manhole covers." In his autobiography, Ditka said Halas was furious at the remark but then said, "Well, it's true anyway."

`The Book'

Once, defensive end Ed O'Bradovich approached Halas for a raise after what he considered a good season. Halas pulled out "The Book," a ledger in which he claimed to have game-by-game grades on each player.

"According to this, you're one of the worst defensive linemen we have," Halas told O'Bradovich, closing the book and the conversation.

O'Bradovich followed with one of his best seasons, then went in for another session with Halas, this time prepared.

He told Halas to pull out the book right then and look at No. 87. Halas did, then closed the book and offered his own style of creative bookkeeping.

"You know what you can do with these grades?" Halas told O'Bradovich. "Don't let the door hit you in the [butt]."

Brief encounters

Kevin Butler took issue with something written by a reporter during one contract impasse and at lunch in the Platteville, Wis., dining hall he threw a glass of water on the reporter, who responded by dumping a pitcher of orange juice on the kicker. Players and media have dined separately ever since.

Steve McMichael took matters--and Phillips--into his own hands during another contract squabble. "I ought to kick your [butt]," he snarled. Phillips' stance did not soften.

GM Jim Finks once made an offer to Doug Plank, who said he would go home and talk it over with his wife to determine if it was enough. Finks said that was fine, he would be going home and talking about it with his own wife as well to determine if it was too much.